Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler Join The Cast Of Super

Although I’m a fan of Rainn Wilson and his contribution to NBC’s “The Office,” I’ve yet to find one of his big-screen endeavors to be the least bit appealing. “The Rocker” had its moments of glory, but I think I’d rather just re-watch “School of Rock” again for the thousandth time. That said, Wilson’s upcoming wannabe superhero epic “Super,” which co-stars Liv Tyler and the always intriguing Ellen Page, sounds quite interesting. It helps matters considerably that it’s spearheaded by “Slither” director and Troma alumni James Gunn, a guy whose work I greatly respect. Whether or not this particular outing will retain the director’s unusual sense of humor remains to be seen, but I’m willing to swing the odds in his favor. That’s just the type of guy I am.

Wilson plays an average guy who takes on the pseudo-superhero alter ego of the Crimson Bolt, after watching his wife (Tyler) fall under the spell of a charming drug dealer. Lacking super powers, he compensates by swinging a trusty wrench.

Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore’s 2006 future classic “Special” executes the “lackluster superhero” premise to perfection, so it will be interesting to see what Gunn brings to the table. If all goes according to plan, the film begins production this December.